Sporting events are judged not simply by the winner but by the quality of the participants. The depth of talent in a team event, the ability of competitors in individual contests.
It’s one thing to be acknowledged as a champion in a sporting event. However, adding to that recognition is the quality and the depth of the field you are competing against.
No-one can question the quality of the list of nominations for the 2025 Equestrian Queensland Annual Awards and the follow-up Queensland Endurance Riders Association (QERA) Awards.
Award winners had the honour not only of their own ability being acknowledged, but the way they stood out in fields of quality nominations.
This was the case for both horses and riders.
Equestrian Queensland assists the national federation in staging of Federation Endurance International events (FEI).
Yet it was before the endurance awards that QERA president and chief steward Dick Collyer was honoured – as a recipient of the 2025 Service to the Queensland Sport Awards.
The awards, held in Brisbane, honoured athletes, teams, officials and volunteers from across the state and a range of sporting codes.
Record-breaking Olympic swimmer Kaylee McKeown was named Queensland Athlete of the Year, while Paralympic swimmer Callum Simpson took the award for Queensland Para Athlete of the Year.
Sprint sensation Gout Gout claimed Queensland Junior Athlete of the Year, wheelchair tennis rising star Ben Wenzel was named Junior Para Athlete of the Year and back-to-back AFL Premiers the Brisbane Lions are Queensland Sport Team of the Year.
For Dick Collyer it was acknowledgement of his thorough knowledge of endurance riding and his ability to impart that to those in the sport.
With a background in school teaching and highly-experienced at the running of Tom Quilty events, he is an educator in all senses of the word.
Dick runs Totara Endurance from Leyburn and is a horse trainer, a judge for the Arabian Horse Society, and has been awarded for his riding achievements.
He comes at the sport from all angles – breeding, riding, officiating, running events and, perhaps most of all, mentoring.
This involves an incredible amount of volunteering for endurance on a local ride organising committee level, Queensland committee level and also national AERA level.
Endurance riding is known for its wide age range of participants, with people as young as five and six, and others in their 70s and 80s, competing alongside each other. The motto “To complete is to win” highlights the sport’s emphasis on participation and horse welfare, rather than just speed.
A major draw of the sport is the strong emphasis on the bond between horse and rider and rigorous veterinary checks, which occur every 30-40 kilometers during a ride. This strict welfare protocol ensures the horse’s health and fitness to continue, which many participants highly value.
As such it is among the top horse participation sports in Australia.
For Queenslanders, it was a year of many highlights. At the 2025 Tom Quilty Gold Cup, held in Tasmania in May, Mary Valley riders Nikki Sample and her nephew Matty Sample rode in together as equal winners of the prestigious 24-hour event.
It was Matty’s third Quilty ride, and a win in his first completion of the 160km course.
For Nikki it was fourth time lucky – her first Tom Quilty ride was in 2019 at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Centre at Imbil where she finished second in the lightweight division.
That ride, together with her outstanding dedication and other results Nikki achieved, saw her named Warraba Sunflowers Senior Rider of the Year at the Equestrian Queensland Awards, presented by QERA.
This involved extensive international riding including the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses in Jullianges, France.
Finalists for Senior Rider were Shelley Chapman, Saasha Grogan and Linda Logan.
At the 2026 Tom Quilty in Tasmania, Peter Field was second middleweight on Rkayn Xuberant, while Taylor Grogan was third junior on Anastazia VA.
QERA A was second in the teams event – Ella Stanton, Peter Field, Alexander Toft and Jess Dakin.
The Shardell Arabian Stud Horse of the Year was Willow Valley Jumanah Pearl, a 12-year-old bay mare ridden and owned by Linda Logan.
This remarkable horse has demonstrated exceptional ability, consistency, and outstanding results throughout the season including winning the lightweight division of the 160km Endurance (AERA with FEI) NSW State Championships at Bullio.
Other results included third lightweight in the Shahzada Memorial 400 km Marathon at St Albans in NSW, and winning the lightweight division of the 320km Far-A-Way Easter Endurance Carnival at Imbil.
Finalists were Brookleigh Danu, Burralga Thunderbolt and Brookleigh Syria.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Long-serving QERA and AERA administrator Kim Moir of Gympie was presented with the Boonara Endurance Volunteer of the Year Award.
Kim has been involved in endurance since about 2008 in some capacity, more so since 2016 with QERA and AERA secretary.
She has strong involvement with Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club at Imbil, Widgee, Kilkivan and the Far-A-Way Club.
The award was for her unwavering dedication, countless volunteer hours and ongoing support.
Kim has a presence at many rides, including Tom Quilty rides in NSW, South Australia and Tasmania, where she also acts as strapper for husband Ken Moir.
In her humble yet business-like way, Kim said she volunteers as most who are involved in the sport help in some capacity .
“They ride, they know others who ride … they are connected.
“At events you think you know and plan for every issue that may come up but there is always something where you need to jump in and help.
“Volunteering widens your perspective of the sport. Then there are the characters you meet.”
Volunteer finalists were Christine Ablett, Charlotte Irwin and Allison Brown.
Totara Endurance Horses Junior Rider of the Year was Indi Else for remarkable commitment, and accomplishments in the sport.
Indi was placed in all nine rides on six horses, except a fourth at Warwick. This included four firsts in 80km, 120km and 160km events.
Indi was one of four Australian riders selected to go to Romania for the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders & Juniors held in September.
Eadie McWilliam and Poppy Kettlewell both placed in the top 20 of the 120km event but while Indi and Charlotte Williamson both qualified they could not raise the money to attend.
Other junior award finalists were Taylor Grogan and Eadie McWilliam.
QUEENSLAND SPORTS AWARD
Accepting his 2025 Service to Queensland Sports Award was the icing on the cake to a big year for Dick Collyer.
Presented by Minister for Sport, Tim Mander, Dick said he was really surprised and humbled to receive it.
“I have to say that if I am eligible for this award then there should be another 100 people – maybe 1000 people – on this stage as recipients.
“We all know that most sport is not what we see on TV – it is grassroots sport and most grassroots sport survives because of the many volunteers who contribute and who make it happen week after week.
“So, my sport is endurance riding. That’s riding a horse for a long way and a long time.
“Our championship distance is 160kms in one day.
“An essential piece of equipment for us is a roll of gaffer tape. That’s so we can attach a torch to our riding helmet because those rides start at midnight, when we get on a very fit equine athlete and ride off into the State Forest at Imbil or Bringalilly, or on the stock route from Winton to Longreach.
“Otherwise it’s somewhere else, following little arrows with fluorescent tape on them.
“In our sport, we have no prize money and we all ride the same track – male and female, young and old, weak and strong.
“We give a trophy to the person who finishes first – and we give a trophy to every single person who completes the ride whether you do it in 10 hours or in 20 hours.
“Our endurance motto is ‘to complete is to win.’
” We know the real meaning of the words from the Graeme Connors song Being Here when he said: ‘Winning isn’t always being first across the line, As long as I do my best I’m winning every time.’
“That song, by the way, was the anthem for the Para-olympic Games of 2000 – Sydney, where Australian horses figured so prominently in the opening ceremony.
“Right now, with the Olympics coming to Brisbane, and with the equestrian events being based in Toowoomba, the Australian Endurance community has put in a proposal for endurance riding to be added to the 2032 Olympics.”
THE BOND BETWEEN HORSE AND RIDER
The 2025 QERA Awards held at Leyburn Hotel were more to acknowledge the completion side of equestrian rather than individual achievement.
In addition to the presentation of the Top 5 awards for horse and rider distance and point scores, there were a number of special awards.
Michael Gabriel Award – presented to a rider who, in the opinion of the QERA Registrar, has made the ideal progression from a new member to open rider within their first year went to Hamish Rizk and Stephanie Rainsford, who will share the award throughout the year.
Colliers Cup – awarded to the horse and rider combination that has completed the greatest total distance over the year. Distances of 80km and over are included, with the award going to Briony Ledingham and Brynjell Dynamo (800km).
Veterans Award – awarded to a rider aged 60 years and over who has accumulated the greatest distance in endurance rides (80km and above) throughout the year. Ute Jordan won this, and also took out the Elders Trophy for a rider aged 60 years and over who has accrued the greatest total distance across all affiliated QERA rides- including 20km, 40km, 80km, 160km, marathon rides and everything in between.
There are two 100 Percent Completion Awards (1500km Silver and 3000km Gold) – awarded to horses that have accumulated endurance rides with no vet outs. The 3000km award went to Jay Randle with De-Sharvarll El Dakar, while Pandora Bevan and My Fair Lady took the 1500km award.
Other award categories and winners included: Intermediate Rider Pointscore – presented to riders who complete a number of Intermediate rides in a season with excellent completion rates and vet scores: Mick Chapman.
Teams Distance and Teams Points Award: Clicker Jets – Janelle Taylor, Emma Dimech, Tracey Eastaughffe and Sue Sutcliffe.
Heavyweight Horse (Distance): Burralga Thunderbolt 644km; Points: Rkayn Xuberant 16.5 points.
Heavyweight Rider (Distance): Mark Liesegang 644km; Points: Andrea Dunsby 21.5 points.
Middleweight Horse (Distance): Brynjell Dynamo 800km; Points: Brynjell Dynamo 24 points.
Middleweight Rider (Distance): Saasha Grogan 1453km; Rider (Points): Saasha Grogan 40 points.
Lightweight Horse (Distance): Brookleigh Syria 728km; Horse (Points): Willow Valley Jumanah Pearl 27.5 points.
Lightweight Rider (Distance): Shelley Chapman 1284km; Rider (Points): Shelley Chapman 35.5 points.
Junior Horse (Distance): Anastazia VA 727km; Horse (Points): Anastazia VA 21.5 points.
Junior Rider (Distance): Taylor Grogan 1476km; Rider (Points): Taylor Grogan 33 points.
HONORARY MEMBERSHIPS
At the QERA annual general meeting, three honorary memberships were for voted for unanimously – Dr Harry Wever, Sarah Sullivan and Erle Levey.
Honorary membership is granted to individuals who are recognised by QERA as having provided special services to the sport of endurance riding.
Harry dedicates much of his time to vetting at rides, including mentoring new vets and travelling interstate to Quilty events.
He has been a member of the AERA National Vet Panel for a number of years, where he contributes to the review of veterinary rules, procedures and any horse welfare situations.
Sarah has been photographing rides for 10 years, travelling not just across Queensland, but to almost every state to capture special memories.
She donates the use of her magnificent photos to QERA for the annual magazine, website and promotional purposes.
Sarah also sponsors a number of awards at rides, often for 20km events and new riders.
Erle has made a significant contribution through his numerous publications of articles in a variety of newspapers. His stories and reports reach a wide audience and encourage people to be interested and involved in the sport.
Erle attends a large number of rides and has come on board as a member of the 2026 Tom Quilty committee.
WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2026
Planning is well underway for the 2026 Tom Quilty Gold Cup, with the Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club at Imbil planning and preparing for this very special event on July 4-5. It is the 60th
Quilty and QERA will be working to commemorate this in appropriate ways.
One special event at the TQ26 will be an Arabian Endurance Horse show, held in partnership with the Arabian Horse Society of Australia.
The 2026 calendar starts with an education weekend for riders and horses at Stirling’s Crossing on January 24-25.
The Far-A-Way Easter Endurance Carnival at Imbil on April 3-6 includes a 320km marathon ride.
The Queensland State Championships are to be held at Biggenden on September 12-13.
IN CONCLUSION
It’s been a phenomenal year for endurance horse riding and 2026 is shaping up to be another cracker with the hosting of the Tom Quilty Gold Cup in Queensland, making it easier in travel time for riders to complete the Triple Crown – a marathon, the Quilty and the state championships.
